Ruth Fanshaw Waldo

Ruth Fanshaw Waldo (December 8, 1885 – August 30, 1975) was an American advertising executive. She is notable for being the first female vice president of the J. Walter Thompson Company, a prominent advertising agency. Her career and life served as inspiration for Janet L. Wolf’s book, What Makes Women Buy.

Early life and education Born on December 8, 1885, in the village of Scotland, Connecticut, on the Scotland-Sprague line, Ruth Fanshaw Waldo was the eldest of three children born to Gerald and Mary (Thomas) Waldo. She grew up on an eastern Connecticut farm. Waldo graduated from Windham High School. in Scotland, Connecticut, was bequeathed to the Connecticut Antiquarian and Landmark Society, and 100 acres of adjoining land were given to the state.

Waldo was a member of many professional and civic groups, including the Foreign Policy Association and the American Association for the United Nations. She was survived by two brothers, Kenneth of Alva, Florida, and Russell of Sarasota, Florida, and North Stonington, Connecticut.